The present invention relates generally to outdoor cooking devices, such as a barbecue grill, and more particularly to welded frame assemblies for larger-sized gas grills of stainless steel construction.
Barbecue grills have become increasingly popular in recent years with increased popularity of outdoor cooking. Conventionally, gas grills consist of a cart or frame that supports a firebox. The gas grills include a burner assembly adjacent to a lower portion of the firebox and a cooking grid supported along the upper edge of the firebox. The firebox usually includes a hinged cover to create a cooking chamber. Other features are typically provided on the frame of the grill, such as work surfaces, storage cabinets, side burners, or the like, to create a more functional and convenient outdoor grill.
In recent years, various appliances having stainless steel construction or a stainless steel aesthetic appearance have become increasingly popular. The stainless steel construction has also become popular for gas grills. The frame assemblies for typical stainless steel grills include tube members or solid bar members welded together to form the frame. The tube members and bar members provide strength and rigidity to the frame to support and accommodate various features of the grill. However, tubular stainless steel components are very heavy and expensive. Furthermore, most of the weld joints of two adjoining tube members must be extensively sanded and xe2x80x9cfinishedxe2x80x9d to provide a more pleasing aesthetic appearance to the stainless steel frame. The extensive finishing process adds labor cost and also increases manufacturing cycle times. In contrast, non-stainless steel grill frames are typically painted to cover welded segments, or may be secured together with fasteners and connections generally unsuitable for heavier stainless steel frames and grill structures.
In response to the growing trend of stainless steel gas grill construction and the drawbacks of presently known stainless steel frame construction already described, there is a need to provide a stainless steel frame assembly that can be constructed from lighter-weight members that can be easily welded while not requiring extensive xe2x80x9cfinishingxe2x80x9d or processing. There is also a need to provide such a frame construction while also providing a rigid and robust frame for proper support of the cooking chamber and various ancillary features of the grill.
The present invention satisfies these needs as well as providing other additional features and advantages over the prior art.
The present invention provides a welded frame assembly of a barbecue gas grill, or an accessory cart. The frame assembly comprises a plurality of elongated support members and a plurality of elongated channel members having at least a portion of generally U-shaped cross section and including an inner welding surface and an outer cosmetic surface. The channel members are disposed transverse to the support members and arranged such that their ends abut against the support members. A plurality of weld joints are each disposed on the inner welding surface of the channel members and a portion of the support members. The weld joints provide attachment of the support members and the channel members to form the welded frame assembly without substantial discoloration of the outer cosmetic surfaces of the channel members. Furthermore, the weld joints are substantially concealed for aesthetic purposes.